Details of the 8 Kent County restaurants closed in 2011, 2012 due to health code violations

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Sometimes when you go to restaurant, what you really need to know about the place isn't on the menu. It's on a health inspector's report.

And when that report details dead cockroaches, containers of too-warm egg salad, or devotes sentences to "extensive rodent activity," it can do more than turn your stomach. Conditions like this can make you sick.

It's why the Kent County Health Department -- which is responsible for inspecting all restaurants and commercial kitchens -- posts some of its inspection information online on the accesskent website.

Sometimes, when red-flag conditions can't be immediately corrected, a restaurant will be shut down until an inspector deems it safe to re-open.

While records show only one Kent County restaurant has been shut down so far this year after inspectors swept through -- it had no running water -- a further search showed seven restaurants were shuttered at least temporarily in 2011 after significant health code violations were discovered during routine inspections.

Documents obtained from the health department through a Freedom of Information Act request detail the inspection records of restaurants in the county that were shut down one day or longer in 2011 and 2012 due to health code violations.

Several note evidence of cockroaches, rodents and food stored as much as 20 degrees above safe range temperatures.

Lisa LaPlante, communications manager for the health department, said restaurants are typically inspected twice each year, unless they have a history of violations that were not immediately corrected.

The field sanitarians don’t announce their visits ahead of time to restaurant owners and generally stay for about an hour in each facility. They check that food is stored within the safe range of temperatures, that it is labeled properly in coolers, and that all other aspects of restaurant operations are in compliance.

The eight Kent County restaurants that have been shut down by health inspectors in t he last two years had issues that were unable to be addressed during the visit, such as significant pest populations or broken food storage appliances.

LaPlante said rodent droppings or bug populations can spread disease, creating a risk for diners eating at a facility with such infestations. Facilities shut down for these problems are required to show they are taking “extreme steps” to rid the problems before re-opening and use specific germ-killing sanitizers to clean the restaurant. Field crews from the health department often are kept on-site during clean-up to make sure it's proceeding well, she said.

“We want to make sure that the place is safe to reopen,” LaPlante said.

At restaurants or commercial kitchens that are found storing food above safe range temperatures, bacterial growth – potentially leading to stomach illnesses -- can be a possibility for consumers of the food, she said, and the restaurants must prove their food storage facilities are in compliance after re-opening.

When facilities are closed and have re-opened, LaPlante said inspectors often drop in more often than required to make sure everything remains up to code.

“When places close, sometimes we come in for an additional surprise, just to make sure everything is in compliance,” she said.

Here are the inspection reports for Kent County restaurants that temporarily closed in 2011 and 2012, organized by date of closure:

Restaurant name: Ottawa Café, 200 Ottawa Ave. NWDate of closure: 1/13/11 – 1/14/11Reason for closure: Inspector noted improper cold holding of potentially hazardous food and the lack of capacity to maintain foods at proper temperature. Egg salad was found at 53 degrees and sauerkraut at 74 degrees in a cooler. At the salad bar, tuna was found at 59 degrees, ham at 56 degrees and cottage cheese at 53 degrees. Overall capacity of working coolers was found to be limited.Current status: The establishment has since closed. A different restaurant under new ownership now operates at this address.

Restaurant name: Jet’s Pizza, 2163 Wealthy St. SEDate of closure: 2/15/11Reason for closure: Establishment was found to be operating without water. The City of East Grand Rapids was working to correct the problem. Operation was ceased until the water supply was returned.Current status: Latest inspection on February 8 noted only one violation.

Restaurant name: Subway, 2157 Wealthy St. SEDate of closure: 2/15/11Reason for closure: Establishment was found to be operating without water. The City of East Grand Rapids was working to correct the problem. Operation was ceased until the water supply was returned.Current status: Latest inspection on March 2 noted only one violation.

Restaurant name: China Palace, 3633 Eastern Ave. SEDate of closure: 3/21/11 – 3/25/11Reason for closure: Inspector documented extensive rodent activity throughout the facility has occurred over a long period of time. Three dead rodents were found in a tin container under the bulk flour container and three dead rodents were found on a glue board under a table in the dish machine area. Extensive rodent evidence also was noted on food contact surfaces in the kitchen and under seats in the dining area, among other areas.Current status: Manager Tran Ly said the restaurant has passed every inspection since and has seen no rodent activity. She said staff speak with pest control company staff every month, keep the facility clean and are working to improve the restaurant. The most recent inspection on May 10 noted four violations, one of them critical.

Restaurant name: Chinatown Restaurant, 69 28th St. SWDate of closure: 5/2/11-9/22/11Reason for closure: The hibachi grill was documented as “filthy” with possible mouse droppings and dead cockroaches present. Rodent evidence was found on the floor, in storage areas and in the kitchen on the floor, equipment, dishware and preparation areas.Current status: Messages were not returned. Latest inspection on April 24 documented seven violations, six of them critical.

Restaurant name: Oriental Asian Buffet, 5316 Clyde Park Ave.Date of closure: 5/24/11 – 8/1/11Reason for closure: The facility voluntarily closed due to a severe cockroach/pest infestation. The health department required the restaurant to hire a pest control company to reduce the cockroach population, vacuum all rodent evidence and conduct a total cleaning and sanitizing of equipment in the kitchen and dining area.Current status: A new restaurant is now in operation at this location under different ownership.

Restaurant name: Palace of India, 961 E. Fulton St.Date of closure: 7/19/11 – 7/21/11Reason for closure: Repairs of the walk-in cooler and prep-cooler were required. All foods checked in the walk-in cooler were measured at 60 degrees or above. All hazardous foods were discarded.Current status: A store manager said new cooling units have been installed and foods are checked three times each day to ensure proper temperatures are being maintained and fix any issues before they become a problem. The facility's latest inspection on May 16 documented nine violations, six of them critical.

Restaurant name: Saigon Café, 4300 Division Avenue SEDate of closure: 5/16/12Reason for closure: Restaurant was operating even though the City of Kentwood had shut off the water service at the street. Food service establishments cannot operate without water and sewer service.Current status: Never reopened.